In an expected turn of events, the Avenir trim line garnished the 2019 Buick Regal Sportback with serious luxurious gear differentiating it from the current top of the line trim called the Preferred II.

“Avenir sales have exceeded our expectations,” said Phil Brook, Vice President, Buick and GMC Marketing. “Buick customers value the exclusive styling, premium features and convenient experience Avenir provides, and we are excited to extend that successful formula to Regal.”

For now, the 2019 Buick Regal Avenir is available only in the Sportback guise with a 2.0-liter, turbocharged engine developing 250 horsepower, with a front wheel drive, and advanced nine-speed automatic transmission.

It’s been four years since the Lexus RC has had any significant changes, but recent spy shots of an RC test mule suggests that updates are on the way for the Japanese automaker’s resident sports coupe. The spy photos don’t reveal much in the way of significant changes, but certain sections of the prototype are wrapped in camouflage, an indication that the expected updates are being concealed for the time being. Still, it looks like the Lexus RC is about to get a much-needed facelift, something that should’ve happened a long time ago.

Having revived the 8 Series after two decades, BMW is also planning to build a Gran Coupe version of the two-door. A concept car was shown at the 2018 Geneva Motor Show, where it was confirmed that the 8 Series Gran Coupe “will take over as the new flagship model” for the brand. Come July 2018, and the production model was spotted on the road.

Much like the coupe, the production car will share many features with the concept. However, this test vehicle has a milder appearance, as it appears to be a standard model and not the M version we saw in Geneva. Our paparazzi actually spotted two cars. There’s a regular 8 Series on a trailer and a sportier version with the M Sport package stretching its wheels on the road. The final product could break cover by the end of 2018 and join a niche that already includes the Mercedes-Benz CLS and the Audi A7.

Lexus is working on a hotter RC F! It’s a sentence we’ve been dying to hear ever since the RC F was introduced for the 2015 model. Three years later, and it’s finally happening. With the RC coupe set to receive a facelift soon, Lexus is also testing a more hardcore version of the F model. Although it’s not yet confirmed for production, it will probably wear the RC F GT name first showcased on a concept car in 2016.

Aimed at the BMW M4 GTS and other beefed-up compact coupes that may follow soon, the RC F GT borrows heavily from the concept car. It features similar aerodynamics, as well as carbon-fiber body panels that reduce curb weight. An engine upgrade will add the extra oomph the RC F needs to compete with its turbocharged rivals, but the interior should get a few unique features as well. The coupe could debut by the end of 2018, but until that happens, let’s have a closer look at what we already know about it.

BMW teased a new world record set by the M2 Competition a few weeks ago. It was unclear exactly what that record was, but the German automaker has now released a short video detailing exactly what it is. To say that it’s a strange record would be doing the whole attempt a disservice. And yet, for some reason, we got excited that the M2 Competition broke a record we didn’t even know existed. Why? Because it used a laser in doing it. That’s right, folks — a laser.

As far as compact SUVs go, the Audi SQ5 feels like a textbook example of how to make cars. It’s sleek, sophisticated, and somehow looks like an Apple phone – clean and just right. Making something wacky out of it requires some thinking and creativity. In this case, Lumma, a German tuning company, took it upon itself to craft a customization package trying to awaken the buried raw character hidden behind its SQ5 badge.

I honestly feel that Mercedes-Benz outdid themselves with the latest A-Class Sedan. It is a car so perfectly suited for the compact sedan niche,
that I have no doubt the company is going to dominate the market. Even more so than it did when the CLA appeared some time ago.

Ok, the world did receive much the same car, but the market habits of US customers (yours, actually) did make the A-Class sedan slightly different compared to all others. And, If I am to assume, cheaper as well.

So, in short, Americans will buy a lot of A-Class sedans that are better equipped and quicker than in the rest of the world for less money.

Convinced yet?

If you are still wondering why the U.S.-spec A-Class Sedan is one of the best ever, I’ve compiled a list of five reasons for you.

Lexus’ F line of performance vehicles is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, and to commemorate the occasion, the Japanese automaker is rolling out a one-off LFA Art Car that was designed by Portuguese Pedro Henrique. The LFA Art Car will be in attendance at the 24 Hours of Spa where it will feature in the on-track parade on Saturday, July 28, before the start of the 24-hour race.

Lexus’ F line of performance vehicles is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, and to commemorate the occasion, the Japanese automaker is rolling out a one-off LFA Art Car that was designed by Portuguese Pedro Henrique. The LFA Art Car will be in attendance at the 24 Hours of Spa where it will feature in the on-track parade on Saturday, July 28, before the start of the 24-hour race.

BMW has announced plans to launch a production car at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. The German automaker was coy about the identity of the mysterious model, but unless Bimmer has plans for another swerve, it’s possible that we are finally going to see the long-awaited, much-hyped BMW Z4 Roadster.

BMW has announced plans to launch a production car at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. The German automaker was coy about the identity of the mysterious model, but unless Bimmer has plans for another swerve, it’s possible that we are finally going to see the long-awaited, much-hyped BMW Z4 Roadster.

The Mercedes A-Class Sedan has arrived, and it’s packing a wallop of new features. Most of the headlines will probably gravitate towards the sedan’s MBUX infotainment system, making it the first U.S.-bound Mercedes to feature the high-resolution widescreen cockpit and touchscreen media display with augmented reality capabilities. But don’t focus all of your attention on the infotainment system. The new A-Class Sedan is more than just that. It also happens to come with a design that’s far and away better than how its predecessor looked.

When Porsche decided to step into the SUV segment with the Cayenne, Porsche purists weren’t all that happy, expecting the brand to soldier on with different 911 variants until times end. But, the Cayenne turned out to be a huge success, and the German brand decided to come out with a compact model named the Macan. Launched in 2014, the Macan just got its mid-cycle facelift for the 2019 model year.

While not as popular as the Cayenne, the Macan was also met with great enthusiasm. Porsche delivered more than 350,000 units from 2014 until 2018, with more than 25 percent of them shipped to China. As a result, the Germans paid big attention to this upgrade and made significant changes inside and out. Unfortunately, those of you who expected more powerful engines will be disappointed. But more on that in the review below.

Introduced in 2014 as a smaller alternative to the already iconic Cayenne, the Porsche Macan is a sales success with more than 350,000 units delivered in four years. The German manufacturer is now looking to add to the momentum with a mid-cycle update that makes the crossover sportier than ever before and adds new equipment inside the cabin.

What better sight than watching three Germans in a conventional drag race! In this video, we see Matt Prior of Autocar, give a brief about all the three vehicles – the Porsche Panamera S E-Hybrid, the Mercedes AMG E63 S, and the BMW M5. Undoubtedly, these are competent vehicles individually, but where do they stand when pitted against each other?

We are still a year or two away from the new BMW X5 M launch. Yet, the old one is still in excellent shape with its striking V-8 and intimidating looks. That’s why we are seeing it again coming out of a tuner’s garage. In this case, from the garage of Auto-Dynamics from Poland.

These guys are no strangers to tuning all sorts of German machinery, including Porsches, Audis and BMWs. Their latest project is the F85 BMW X5 M, and it was massaged to deliver more power than the Lamborghini Urus and drive to 62 mph almost as quickly as the Aston Martin DBS Superleggera. Apart from giving credibility to Russian mobsters, to sons of Arab oil barons, and really successful cocaine kings, cars like this show what the SUV world is doing nowadays. It seems that the world of SUVs has reached the same stage as what tuned sports cars had reached twenty years ago – a place between rationality and madness.

Like a shot of the good juice on a clear morning, the BMW M8 was spotted at the Nurburgring doing some good ‘ol fashion testing. The long-bodied beauty was dressed in heavy camouflage, but the coupe’s unmistakable look can still be gleaned underneath all that wrapping.

It was only a matter of time before Hyundai N decided to make its own stand-alone model, and now we finally have confirmation that a true halo car is in the works. It won’t be delivered to the market for some time, as it’s still in the embryonic stages of development, but engineers are standing at the drawing board trying to figure out just what it could be. Will it be a performance sedan like a Hyundai-badged derivative of the Kia Stinger on steroids? Will it be a two-seater sports car that is designed from the ground up?

Revealed at the 2018 Goodwood Festival of Speed, the Maserati Levante GTS showed that Maser knows a thing or two about making really fast luxurious cars. SUVs or not. It does not matter to them. The new car features a Ferrari-built 3.8-liter, turbocharged, V-8 with 542 horsepower, can accelerate to 62 mph in 4.2 seconds, and it can hit a top speed of 181 mph. It is the supercar of SUVs. Or as Maserati would put it, the new Levante GTS is the Maserati of SUVs. I like this one better.

While this sounds really impressive, this is not the first time that Maserati smashed a Ferrari V-8 into the Levante. Only a few months ago, the Italian company revealed the Maserati Levante Trofeo with the same V-8 only tuned up to 590 horsepower. That one is a tad faster, a tad meaner, and $50,000 more expensive. Why in hell is the Levante Trofeo so much more expensive than the Levante GTS that is priced at $120,000?

While notable changes make sense for a mid-cycle refresh, word has it that the Spyder in out latest shots could be more than just a facelift. Audi may be working on a beefed-up version of the supercar that could carry an “RS” or “GT” badge. With the nameplate likely to go into the history books in a few years, the Germans might be looking to give it a proper send-off with a more aerodynamic and powerful version. Unfortunately, Audi is still mum on the details, so we won’t know for sure until the company spills the beans or the camo comes off. Meanwhile, let’s have a closer look at what the updated R8 Spyder might bring to the table.